Tears and Blood
by Stinkfly3
Summary: In an alternate timeline, Corey and Trina were never sent to the surface world by their father. So what happens when Corey meets Laney after all those years? Does he have an impact on her personality, or is she still the same as she is in the current timeline? Inspired by the 2008 film The Incredible Hulk.
1. Demon Boy

Once upon a time, in a town called Peaceville, there lived a 12-year-old girl named Laney Penn. She was the most beautiful girl in town with long red hair that felt incredibly soft and dazzling dark green eyes. Her choice of outfits were long-sleeved casual dresses and black boots. Yet despite her natural beauty, she had no friends and was incredibly shy. Why you may ask? She suffered from a medical condition known as Chronic Social Anxiety.

For as long as she could remember, Laney couldn't speak. Not because of a birth problem. She knew her vocal chords worked. But when she tried to say something, she would get nervous and words couldn't come out of her mouth. Her appearance even gave it away with her nervous gaze and her hair covering her left eye. In fact, she was so concerned with her looks, she felt it was necessary for her to wear makeup, so she chose black eyeshadow and eyeliner to make her eyes look darker. By now, everyone knew she was better off alone.

That is, until one fateful day...

* * *

"Come on, Laney," Mrs. Penn said, taking her on a walk in the local forest. "Don't you think nature is fascinating?"

Of course, Laney didn't respond. She didn't get why her mother brought her out here. She was out here in a dark blue long-sleeved casual dress and her favorite black books, and there wasn't anything interesting going on. What was so special about nature walks anyway? All she saw was a bunch of loose sticks on the ground, flying insects, a mud-covered boy laying near a tree-

Huh?

Laney closely. Sure enough, there was a boy laying near a tree. He was covered in mud, so it was hard to see him. She walked up to her mother and gently tugged her arm. "Laney, do you see something?" Mrs. Penn asked.

Laney responded by taking her mother over to the boy. Upon closer inspection, the he looked like he was around Laney's age. His arms and legs were intact, and he was only wearing black shorts. Fortunately, seeing as his chest was moving up and down, he was still breathing.

"Should we tell someone?" Mrs. Penn asked. Laney shook her head in response, wanting to help this boy. "Are you trying to tell me we should take him home?" Mrs. Penn asked, to which Laney happily nodded in response. "Well... Okay."

But when Mrs. Penn used both arms to carry the boy, something strange happened. When he was lifted from the mud-covered ground, he was revealed to have red and black bat-like wings, an armored tail with a spade tip, and four extra arms. Mrs. Penn gasped, dropping him back on the ground. But Laney was a brave girl. She slowly walked up to the boy and wiped the mud from his face, revealing short black horns on his forehead and bright red skin. She looked up at her mother, silently begging to take him home.

"Laney, sweetie, I don't think it's a good idea," Mrs. Penn said. "He doesn't look human."

Laney whimpered, insisting to bring him home. "Okay, dear," Mrs. Penn said. "Only because you want to help him."

* * *

When the Penns got back home, Laney immediately started bathing the mysterious boy. With the mud gone, his body was completely visible. He was well built with broad shoulders and a nice four-pack, but his torso was covered in strange green markings while a blue and black demonic pentagram marked his right shoulder. His hands and feet were rough with ivory claws on his fingers and toes. His shaggy hair was a light shade of grey, the same color as silver. All in all, despite his demonic features, he was quite handsome.

As Laney applied shampoo to his hair, the boy moaned. He slowly opened his eyes, which were all-black with pale green pupils. Realizing where he was, his eyes were fully opened and he sat up in surprise and hissed, exposing his sharp fangs. But Laney didn't look scared. Instead, she continued to wash his hair, massaging his scalp in the process.

The boy relaxed from the girl's gentle touch, a soft purr emitting from his throat. He leaned back, deeply relaxed. Laney smiled as she cupped her hands with water to rinse out the shampoo, getting rid of any mud that was stuck in his hair. She wasn't sure what this boy was, but she knew he wasn't a threat.

* * *

When the boy was all dried and his black shorts were on, Laney brought him to her room. He was amazed by all the unicorns, teen magazines, and boy band stuff he saw. While he observed, Laney noticed he was walking on all eights (due to his four extra arms) and meowing. He was behaving like a cat for some reason, sparking her interest. She walked up to him and tried to say something. Of course, no words came out her mouth.

The boy turned his head to look at Laney. He slowly approached her, a dazed look in his eyes. Then, with careful movements, he reached forward and touched her hair. When his clawed fingers came in contact with the red locks, he smiled and meowed again. Laney didn't get why this boy was doing this. Fortunately, she had an idea. She took out a portable chalkboard set from her nightstand drawer and gave it to him. Her mother thought it would help with her social skills, but it didn't work out. Why not give it to this cat-like creature so he could communicate with her?

When the boy got the portable chalkboard set, he started writing a message. Surprisingly, he could pick up the chalk and write legibly. When he was finished, he showed Laney the message he wrote.

**Love your hair.**

Laney smiled. She was thinking about cutting her hair short for a while, and this was the perfect opportunity for her to do it. She could give the leftover locks to the boy as a small gift.

* * *

Back in the upstairs bathroom, Laney showed the boy a pair of scissors, wanting him to see her do this. He was curious about what she was doing, but his expression became a surprised one when she was about to start cutting her own hair. Before she knew it, he used his tail to snatch the scissors from her hand, repeatedly shaking his head.

Laney looked at the boy, trying to ask him why he did that. He responded by leaving the bathroom and coming back with the portable chalkboard set. He quickly wrote a message to her.

**Don't do that! You're already beautiful!**

Laney was surprised. She thought she was better off with shorter hair, but this boy disagreed. He just met her a while ago, and he already thought she was pretty. She muttered something, tilting her head towards the ground. She looked back up when the boy tapped her leg.

**Could you speak up? I didn't hear that.**

Laney muttered again, still unable to speak. The boy frowned.

**Still couldn't hear you.**

Laney took a deep breath and attempted to speak again. But sadly, she still muttered, tears coming from her eyes this time. She grabbed the chalkboard set and wrote a message.

I was thanking you for the compliment. Sorry about my inability to communicate. I have Chronic Social Anxiety, a medical condition that prevents me from speaking.

At this point, Laney and the boy took turns writing on the chalkboard.

**You sure?**

Yes, I'm sure. I was diagnosed seven years ago.

**Don't your vocal chords work?**

They do. I'm just a very shy person. I can't seem to speak without getting nervous and loosing my train of thought.

**Then I'll have to fix that. I hate seeing you like this. With my help, words WILL come out of your mouth.**

Thanks, I guess. My name's Laney, by the way. Laney Penn. You?

**My name? It's Corey Riffin.**


	2. Natural Beauty

After Corey convinced Laney to keep her hair long, he put the scissors back in the bathroom cabinet and they went back to her room. She was about to write a message on the chalkboard, but Corey refused to let it go.

**I need this because I can't talk. Your problem is shyness. If you want to say something, use your mouth.**

Laney tried, but she couldn't. Corey frowned at that. Then he got an idea.

**Would it help if I tell you about myself?**

Laney nodded in response. Corey then proceeded to write several messages due to the limited space of the chalkboard.

**First off, I'm the son of the Underworld king. I spent my whole life living beneath the Earth's surface with him and my older sister Katrina, but she prefers being called Trina since dad gave her that nickname.**

**Life wasn't great for me. I was different from other demons. The first problem was that I didn't grow out of the monster cat stage when I turned three years old on my birthday. It's when young demons behave like cats.**

**Then there was my nature. Since my mom is a human, I was born more human than demon. I wasn't interested in violence and I longed to live on the surface world with mom. But dad had other plans.**

**He treated me like an animal, locking me in cages and force-feeding me tuna. When I didn't listen to him, he attacked me with a whip. It went on for years until I was ten years old. That's when I snapped.**

**Knowing the only problem was my human side, I rejected it and fully embraced my demon side. But by then, it got worse. Dad kept on treating me like an animal, even if he stopped locking me in cages and whipping me.**

**The only way I could end this was to escape. So with the help from my sister and a demon named Otis, a close family friend, I used the Nethervator to get to the surface world. But then I realized my mom wouldn't accept the monster that dad turned me into. I thought it was better for me to stay in the woods until I learn to regain my humanity.**

Laney was surprised to read this. She had no idea Corey's life was horrible. When he was finished writing, he was clearly upset, tears pouring from his eyes. She scratched behind his ear, trying to calm him down. He responded to her touch by smiling and purring, leaning closer to her.

**Thanks Lanes. You're a very nice human.**

* * *

That evening, Laney and Mrs. Penn ate dinner. Corey came downstairs and looked up at the family. He meowed, trying to get their attention. "Hello there, Corey," Mrs. Penn said, remembering what he told her earlier today. "Would you like some food?"

**Do you have any chocolate?**

"Chocolate?" Mrs. Penn repeated.

**Demons love eating chocolate. It's a delicacy in the Underworld.**

"I don't know..." Mrs. Penn said. "If I give you chocolate, are you going to turn evil?"

Corey looked offended. He quickly wrote his response on the chalkboard.

**What?! No! Nothing happens! We demons just really like eating chocolate.**

"Okay then," Mrs. Penn said. "Laney, do we have any chocolate?"

Laney responded by getting up, walking over to the fridge, and taking out a half-eaten chocolate bar. She walked over to Corey and held it out to him. Looking at the chocolate bar, he smiled, broke off a small piece, and ate it.

**What? You expect me to eat the whole thing? I want to save some for tomorrow.**

Laney smiled and patted Corey's head. He was very polite for a demon.

* * *

Later that evening, Laney came back to her room in a pink nightgown. She just came out of the shower, her face free of makeup. Corey was laying on her bed waiting for her. When she entered, he looked at her, grinned, and hopped off the bed to look up at her.

**Your eyes look different.**

Laney knew what Corey met, so she walked over to her dresser and took out her eyeshadow and eyeliner. She showed them to Corey, wanting him to know she used them every day. He frowned at that.

**You use that stuff on your face?**

Laney nodded in response.

**Why? Your emerald green eyes sparkle without it.**

Laney blushed. This was the second time he complimented her. Why was he doing this? Was he being nice? Did he like her? What was going through his head? Before she could think about it some more, Corey took the eyeshadow and eyeliner out of her hands and set them down on the dresser.

**It's bad enough you nearly ruined your perfectly soft red hair. Promise me you'll never use this disgusting black gunk to hide your pretty eyes.**

Laney looked at Corey straight in the eye. He looked sad, tears welling up in his dark eyes. It was hard for her to say 'no' to that face.

**Please?**

Laney sighed. She smiled softly and reached forward to stroke his hair. This boy was changing her, convincing her to not cut her hair and to stop using makeup. Then, without warning, another change occurred.

"Okay Corey. I promise I won't use makeup again."


	3. Friendly Bonding

**A/N: Before I begin, there are a few things I want to clarify. AssassinMaster22, Kin and Kon won't appear in this story. Corey and Laney don't meet them in this alternate timeline. Also, since Corey escaped from the Underworld, he never learned to turn into a human. He's stuck in his demon form at the moment. And finally, grojband00, have you read the show's Blogspot page? Laney's room is supposed to look girly.**

**Now that everything's cleared up, on to the next chapter.**

* * *

The next morning, Laney woke up when something touched her. She wasn't fully awake at first, so she couldn't tell what was going on. But as she opened her eyes, she saw someone on her bed. A few blinks later, she found out that someone was Corey. He was sitting next to her, brushing her hair. "Corey?" she asked.

Corey noticed Laney was awake, so he stopped. Ashamed, he hopped off the bed and walked over to the chalkboard.

**Sorry about that.**

Laney sat up. "What for?" she asked.

**Demons have a particular and morbid attraction to long and beautiful female hair.**

"Is that why you didn't want me to cut my own hair?" Laney asked.

Corey hesitated, his face becoming darker. He quickly wrote his message, embarrassed.

**Yes.**

"It's okay, Core," Laney said. "Having a fetish is normal."

**No it's not! Every time I see you, all I can think about is your beautiful red hair! Seeing it sway as you move is too much! I'm sorry for being so selfish!**

Laney got out of bed and kneeled next to Corey. "You're not being selfish," she disagreed. "You did take the scissors from me and it surprised me, but I was only doing it so you could have the leftover locks."

**But it wouldn't have been the same. I really like feeling the locks on YOUR head and seeing you smile by my touch. It's win-win. I touch your hair, and you respond. Don't you like it?**

"Well..." Laney began. But then Corey picked up the brush and resumed brushing her hair. Laney noticed how gentle he was. He was very careful, making sure not to tug. She gave him a small smile, and Corey responded by writing a message with his left bottom hand.

**You like it, don't you?**

"Mmm-hmm," Laney replied, slowly nodding her head. "Maybe you should keep doing this during your stay here."

**I think I can work with that.**

* * *

A half hour later, Corey and Laney came downstairs. She was wearing her yellow long-sleeved casual dress and black boots. "Morning mom," she said.

Mrs. Penn was surprised. "Laney?" she asked. "Did you talk?"

"So?" Laney asked in response.

"You never talk," Mrs. Penn recalled.

"It's Corey," Laney explained. "We were having a conversation last night and I felt comfortable to use words to express my feelings."

"You encouraged her to talk?" Mrs. Penn asked, looking down at Corey.

**I wanted her to use words to promise me she won't use makeup ever again.**

Mrs. Penn patted Corey on the head. "Maybe it was a good idea for you to stay here for a while," she said.

* * *

After breakfast, Laney brought Corey back to her room. He was confused.

**What do you do every day?**

"Nothing much," Laney explained. "Just read for a bit and maybe watch TV if anything good is on."

**Seriously?! Don't you go outside?!**

"Not really," Laney continued. "I never really made any friends."

**Guess I'll have to change that. Come on. We're going outside.**

* * *

After much force, Corey managed to bring Laney outside. The only problem was that she wasn't willing to leave the front yard. Corey quickly noticed that.

**Come on, Lanes! Let's go do something!**

Laney sighed, deciding to play along. "There's a town park nearby," she said. "Want me to take you there?"

**Sounds good to me.**

* * *

At the park, Corey and Laney walked around and talked about various things. Technically, Laney did all the talking. Corey wrote messages on the chalkboard.

**Do you know any kids?**

"Not a lot of them," Laney answered. "There's these twin brothers in my gym class. Don't really know their names. Then there's these two kids, Kate and Allie. They're nice, but a little too nice. The ones I really don't like are-"

"Hello Penn."

Corey and Laney were stopped by four kids, one boy and three girls. Corey looked at them, then back at Laney.

**These kids?**

"Yep," Laney said in a bitter tone. "Carrie Beff, Lenny Newman, Kim Pine, and Konnie Magik. They formed a rock band called The Newmans, and they aren't exactly nice people."

"Nice pet, Penn," Lenny said. "Looks almost like a human."

"What a freak," Kim said with an eye-roll. "What kind of creature has six arms?"

"What's the matter, weirdo?" Konnie asked, kicking Corey in the gut. "Can't talk?"

Carrie, who was presumably the leader, snapped her fingers. "Newmans, that's enough," she said. "Let's just leave the quiet girl and her mutant pet alone." With that, they turned to leave.

Corey didn't like what The Newmans said. He was snarling, his fangs visible. "Easy Corey," Laney said. "They're just bullies. I happen to be their favorite target."

That did it for Corey. He let out a demonic screech and flew out in front The Newmans, scarring them. Knowing they weren't going anywhere, he flapped his wings to hover in front of them. He raised his six arms, neon green electricity appearing in his clawed fists. He prepared to throw bolts of electricity at these kids-

"Corey, that's enough!"

That was none other than Laney, who quickly got in front of The Newmans. "What's wrong with you?" she asked. "You said you wanted to regain your humanity! I know The Newmans are jerks, but you can't kill them! It'll prove your father was right about you! Aren't you trying to prove him wrong?"

Corey quickly remembered that, so he got back on the ground on all eights. He meowed, feeling bad for his actions.

**I'm so sorry, Lanes! I don't know what came over me! I was just so angry at these guys for making fun of you!**

"It's okay, Core," Laney said, scratching underneath his chin. "I'll help you out."

The Newmans were still surprised by what Corey did. "What kind of a creature is that?" Carrie asked.

"You mean Corey?" Laney asked in response. "He's an actual demon from the Underworld. He's a bit protective of me."

Carrie took a few steps back. "Okay, okay!" she yelped, seeing Corey's eyes sparkled with neon green electricity. "We'll leave you alone! Just keep him away from us!"

* * *

With The Newmans no longer a problem, Corey and Laney resumed their walk. Eventually they stopped to sit on a bench, still chatting.

**Do any of your other relatives live here?**

"In Peaceville?" Laney asked. "No, just me and my widowed mom. My older cousin occasionally visits us."

**Older cousin? What's she like?**

Laney thought about the right words to say before she spoke. "She's pretty incredible," she said. "I've looked up to her like a big sister. Whenever she comes over, she always has an interesting story to tell me. According to my aunt, she was just as shy as I am. But she overcame it after a life-changing experience and she's been pretty brave ever since."

**Sounds like she's a good role model.**

"You could say that," Laney said. "What about you? Are you close with any of your family?"

**Just Trina. She might be the second most powerful demon in the Underworld, but she means well. She cares about me, and she wants me to be happy. Just don't get on her bad side. When she gets angry, she'll rip her enemies to shreds.**

He sighed as he continued writing.

**I still love her. She and Otis are my only friends back in the Underworld. I might have been on the surface world for only a few days, but I already miss them.**

"It's okay, Core," Laney said, patting his head. "They probably knew it was better for you to come here. You deserve to live with someone who cares about you."

**You really care about me?**

"Of course I do," Laney answered. "You encouraged me to talk. I want to return the favor and help you with your problem."

Corey smiled and let out a small meow.

**Thanks Lanes.**


	4. How to Be Human

The past few weeks were pretty much the same. Corey and Laney spend every moment together. They ate meals, hung out at the park, and chatted about various things. Corey learned about human culture, while Laney enjoyed learning about demon habits and traditions. All in all, things were better than they were before Laney met Corey.

But one day, something was off. During breakfast, Corey was acting strange. First he meowed as he looked at a cereal box. Then he had his two dominant hands grasping the table, trying to stand on his legs without the support of his extra arms. And finally, he was silent as the Penns ate, just looking at them curiously.

"Corey, do you feel ill?" Mrs. Penn asked.

**What's it like to be a human?**

Laney, who was already wearing a pale blue long-sleeved casual dress and her usual boots, nearly choked on a piece of pancake after she read the chalkboard message. "What?" she asked.

Corey pointed at his message. "Are you saying you want to become a human?" Mrs. Penn asked.

**Yes. Mrs. Penn, you and your daughter have been very nice to me during my stay in the surface world. But if I am to live with my mother, I need to learn how to act. Teach me your ways and make me one of you.**

"Corey, I don't know how to make you become human," Laney said. "Is there some kind of converter in the Underworld?"

**No, but we demons have the ability to alter our appearances. Just look.**

Corey grasped the kitchen table to let the Penns see his torso. Surprisingly, all the green markings vanished and his black horns became grey. Portions of his hair became light blue, leaving a few silver streaks in his shaggy locks. When it was done, he got back on the floor and walked back to his 'seat'.

**This is my true form. What you saw before was the result of all those years of abuse from my dad. Even my electrical powers changed. They're usually less dangerous in my normal form.**

Corey raised his four extra arms, pale blue electricity appearing in his clawed hands. The electrical energy vanished a second later.

**So please, teach me how to look like a human. Help me become one of you.**

Laney was surprised. Corey had changed so much from when he nearly attacked The Newmans. He was very different, calmer even. Did he really want to become a human? "Okay Core," she finally said. "I'll teach you how to behave like a human."

* * *

In Laney's room, the lessons began. "The first step is your appearance," Laney said, showing Corey pictures of her favorite boy bands. "These are photos of what human males look like. Try turning into one of them."

Corey looked at the pictures carefully. He had a hard time choosing which one to use for a guideline. Laney quickly noticed that. "Not sure which one to use?"

**There's so many. Can you choose for me?**

"If you want me to," Laney said. She looked at the pictures. "This one has a similar body structure," she said, pointing at one of the guys from One Direction. "Try copying his appearance."

Corey nodded and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, Laney saw his body change. His four extra arms, wings, horns, and tail retracted into his body as his skin changed from bright red to the same shade as human flesh. He was gritting his fangs, which became less pointy and started to resemble ordinary teeth. The demonic pentagram on his right shoulder disappeared and his ivory claws vanished. The last change to occur was his hair. It became dark brown and it changed shape, getting shorter as the front locks became messier. (A/N: Think back to his original concept design.) When it was all done, Corey opened his eyes, which looked like human eyes with a light blue iris.

**Did it work?**

Laney got a handheld mirror from her vanity. "See for yourself," she said, giving the mirror to Corey.

The young demon took the mirror in his claw-free hand and looked at his reflection. He was surprised at what he saw, putting his other hand on top of his head, feeling his new hair. Then he threw down the mirror in alarm. "Are you okay?" Laney asked.

**Do I look okay?! I'm hideous! How could you humans stand looking at each other?!**

"I don't think you look hideous," Laney said.

**Are you serious?! My head looks muddy, my eyes look abnormal, and I look like a freaking ghost!**

Laney shushed Corey as she touched his cheek, trying to calm his down. "Core, this is what humans are supposed to look like. Take me for example. Do you think I look hideous?"

Corey shook his head in response.

**Of course not. You're very beautiful. How could you say you look hideous?**

Laney blushed. "But if you look closely, I have the same eyes and skin."

Corey looked at Laney intensely, gazing at her eyes.

**Your eyes are dark green, not blue.**

"Eye color is different for humans," Laney explained. She put her other hand on his hair. "And this isn't mud. It's your hair. You don't recognize it because it's a different color."

Corey's face became tinted with red as he smiled. From his reaction, Laney figured he liked her touch. After a while, she was about to retract her hand from him when he grabbed her wrist.

**No, don't stop. I love this feeling.**

Laney pulled her hand back anyway. "But you still need to get some new clothes," she said. "I'll see if mom is willing to take us to the mall."

* * *

A few chore bargains later, Mrs. Penn dropped Corey Laney off at the mall. There, Laney brought Corey over to a clothing store. "Since you're going to live among humans, you need to wear more clothes," she explained."

**You sure? I heard human males sometimes walk around with only shorts and sneakers when they exercise.**

"But most guys wear actual outfits," Laney continued. "Don't worry, I'll help you find something to wear."

**Several hours of browsing later...**

Laney waited outside the changing room. "Core, are you okay in there?"

Corey meowed in response, sounding happy.

"I'll take that as a yes," Laney said.

Soon, the door opened and Corey stepped out. He was wearing a black t-shirt with the phrase 'Underworld Nightmare' in red print that resembled dripping blood. He also wore tight dark blue jeans and maroon sneakers with white rims. At the moment, he was standing properly, using the doorknob for support. He meowed, asking for an opinion.

"What do I think about your outfit?" Laney asked. She looked at him. She never noticed it before, but he looked fit, a slight muscle in his thin arms. She didn't really like overmuscular guys or ones who were lanky, just ones who were a combination of both. So seeing Corey look thin with a small build was enough to make her blush.

Corey snapped Laney out of her thoughts by meowing again. "You look amazing," she finally said. "Matches your personality."

Corey grinned and meowed yet again, but he didn't let go of the doorknob. "It's okay, Core," Laney said. "Let go and walk over to me."

Taking a deep breath, Corey slowly loosened his grip on the doorknob. When he let go, he immediately got back on the ground on all fours. He looked frustrated.

**Darn it! I was this close to walking properly!**

"I can help you with that," Laney said. She took Corey's hands in her own and looked at him straight in the eye. "Now do what you did before and stand to your full height." Corey hesitated, glancing at the ground. "Keep your eyes on me and don't look at the ground," Laney suggested.

Corey took a deep breath and let Laney help him stand properly. It worked, but he was still shaking. "That's it," Laney said. "Now I'm going to let go, so keep standing like this."

Corey nodded, letting Laney let go of his hands. She noticed he was looking at her in the eyes, not getting back on the ground. He meowed, asking Laney for his chalkboard. She picked it up and gave it to him.

**Did you let go yet?**

"Yes," Laney answered. "You're standing properly."

Corey looked at his feet and back at Laney. He meowed in triumph, happy he could now walk properly. However, Laney shushed him. "The final step is to speak words," she said. "Try to say Main Street."

Corey meowed, but it didn't sound anything like the phrase. "No, Main Street," Laney repeated, carefully saying each syllable.

Corey tried again, but it still didn't sound right. Laney put her hand on his cheek. "Try harder," she encouraged. "Main...Street."

Corey took a deep breath and meowed again. He was still not saying it right. Laney sighed. "Are you even trying to say Main Street?"

Corey shook his head in response. "Then what are you trying to say?" Laney asked. Then suddenly, something happened. Something that Laney wasn't expecting. Corey actually spoke, but what he said wasn't even close to 'Main Street'.

"I love you, Laney Penn."

Laney's eyes widened by those words. "Core..."

Corey continued. "It's true," he said, no longer meowing. "I love how you've been so kind of me since you brought me into your home. I love hearing your wonderful voice once you started talking. I love every single thing you do, even the simplest of tasks. And more importantly..." He lifted his hand to move her hair away from her left eye, tucking the locks behind her left ear. "I love feeling your beautiful red hair every single day."

Laney didn't know what to say. She didn't know Corey a few weeks ago, and he just confessed his love to her. Could demons even express genuine love? She heard they typically faked that emotion to sleep with married women. While Corey wasn't a typical demon, she wasn't sure if he also faked love.

"Corey, I appreciate you telling me this," Laney said. "But I'm not sure if I feel the same way about you."

"Lanes, look at me," Corey said, moving his hand to her cheek and tilting her head so she looked at him. "Be honest, and tell me how you really feel."

Laney looked at Corey, taking note of every detail. It was probably the lighting, but he looked handsome. "I-I don't know how I feel about you," she said without a second thought. "But I like seeing you in this disguise. I know it isn't really you, and I don't mind. You look great as a brunette, and this shirt compliments your body. I really like you, Core. I like you a lot." She gazed into his bright blue eyes, a warm feeling appearing inside her. "Maybe even love."

Corey's smiled turned into a grin. "You really love me?" he asked.

"Probably," Laney admitted. "But seeing you with your brown hair sticking out and your blue eyes sparkling in the light, I guess I would have to say that..." She took a deep breath. "I have fallen in love with a demon."

"Then I guess it's time I show you another demon tradition," Corey said.

* * *

At the mall fountain, Corey cupped some water with both hands and put it into a potted tree. "What are you doing?" Laney asked.

"A demon mating ritual," Corey explained, picking up a handful of wet dirt. Then he threw the wet dirt at Laney, hitting her in the face.

"Corey!" Laney yelped. "What was that for?!"

"I marked you as mine," Corey explained. "Demons do that to let others know the marked someone is already taken. It's usually done with mud, but I figured wet dirt is a good equivalent. If you don't like it, I could reverse the-"

"Don't," Laney interrupted. "I think it's sweet that you did that. It's messy, but I still like it."

"So you really love me?" Corey asked. "Even though I'm not human?"

Laney held Corey's hand. "Sure," she said, noticing he still had the chalkboard with him. "And you can get rid of that chalkboard. Neither of us need it."

"But I still want it as a memory," Corey insisted. "When I eventually move in with my mom, I need a reminder of the first human I met: you."

"That reminds me," Laney said. "We should probably help you find your mom."

"Tomorrow," Corey said. "I want to spend today with you. After all, I don't know what she's like."

And so, Corey and Laney spent the remainder of the day hanging out at the mall and chatting. During that time, she was happy to see her friend behave just like a human. He didn't even look like a demon, and she could tell he was incredibly thrilled about it.


	5. Final Confrontations

The next day, Laney, who decided to wear a red casual long-sleeved dress with her boots, and Corey told Mrs. Penn their plan to find Corey's mother their plan to find his mother. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Mrs. Penn asked. "After all, you got my daughter to talk."

"Yes, Mrs. Penn," Corey answered. "I came here to find my mother, and that's what I want to do. Thank you for letting me live here. I really appreciate the hospitality."

"Well, if it means that much to you," Mrs. Penn said.

Suddenly, a loud shriek was heard outside. Corey looked at the window and gasped. "You okay, Corey?" Laney asked.

"I recognize that sound," Corey said. "It's my sister. She must have come here." He looked at Laney. "Stay here. I don't want you to get hurt."

"No," Laney insisted. "I'm coming with you."

"Lanes, I told you she's the second most powerful demon in the Underworld," Corey repeated.

"But you said she cares about you," Laney recalled. "If I tell her I was the one who helped you, she'll see me as a friend."

"And if she rips you to shreds?" Corey asked.

Laney grasped Corey's hand. "That's a risk I'm willing to take," she said.

* * *

With Corey's demonic hearing, he and Laney traced the source of the demonic shriek to the park. There, a demon girl was flying around attacking everything in sight with flame spheres. Like Corey's demon form, she had bright red skin, all-black eyes with pale green pupils, an armored tail with a spade tip, ivory-clawed hands and feet, red and black bat-like wings, and sharp fangs. But she also had waist-length dark purple hair with pink streaks, a pink and black demonic pentagram on her left shoulder, a 'Demon's Child' tattoo on her collarbone, long black horns, and she wears a very revealing purple dress.

"WHERE IS HE?!" the girl roared. "WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!"

"That's your sister?" Laney asked.

"Yes," Corey answered. "I told you she's powerful." He stepped forward. "I'm right here, Trina!"

Trina looked towards the ground and saw Corey. "Corey?" she asked, calming down. She flew over to him and landed next to him. "Is that really you?"

"It is," Corey answered. "I know I look different. I met a human who taught me how to blend in with humans. I'm still your little brother, extra arms and all."

Trina walked over to Laney and sniffed. "You marked her, didn't you?" she asked Corey.

"I wanted to," Corey explained, walking over to his human friend. "Laney Penn helped me look what she calls normal. She showed me the right human disguise, approved of the choice of clothing to wear, helped me stand upright, and encouraged me to use words when I speak. But while I'm a human on the outside, I'm still a demon on the inside."

"You did this to him?" Trina asked Laney.

"Don't get mad at me," Laney said. "He asked for it, and I wanted to return the favor since he help-"

Trina interrupted Laney when she squealed in delight and tightly hugged her. "Thank you!" the older demon exclaimed. "I always hoped Corey would grow out of the monster cat stage, and you helped him do that!" She finally let go of Laney. "Human girl, I am forever grateful for your act of kindness."

"So Trina," Corey said. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, right," Trina said. "It's about dad. He looked pretty upset this morning. When I woke up, I heard him say something about coming to the surface world to retrieve someone and from the choice of words he used, I think he was talking about you."

Corey's eyes widened and he looked scared. "Dad found out I came here?" he asked.

"Don't jump to conclusions," Trina reassured. "For all we know, he could have been talking about Cerberus. You know how he tends to wander off every now and then."

"What did dad say?" Corey asked.

"I told you, I really don't know," Trina said. "He kept on shouting and-"

Corey grabbed Trina's throat, cutting her off. "What did he say?" he repeated in an angry tone.

"The words I heard him use were 'great disappointment' and 'freak of the Underworld'," Trina said, allowing Corey to release his grip from her.

"Do those words mean anything to you?" Laney asked.

"Those are the nicknames he gave me," Corey answered.

"Oh, right," Trina said. "I forgot about that. So yeah, dad found out you escaped and he's trying to bring you back to the Underworld."

"Great," Laney said. "How do we even know he's coming?"

"There are only two ways to travel between the surface world and the Underworld," Corey said. "Either the Nethervator or some kind of doorway."

"But dad has a different way of getting to the surface world," Trina continued. "And it's not pretty."

"Which is...?" Laney asked.

As if on cue, dark clouds appeared in the sky and strong winds blew. Then a huge crack appeared in the ground and opened wide, allowing a very large male demon to emerge. When he was out of the ground, he roared.

Trina flew up to the demon's face. "Oh hey, dad," she said, trying to distract the Underworld king. "I know you don't want me to come up here, but I really haven't seen mom in years and I was hoping I could see how she's doi-"

"I AM NOT HERE FOR YOU, BELOVED TRINA," Mr. Riffin said. "I ONLY WISH TO RETRIEVE MY SON."

Trina faked a gasp. "He escaped?" she asked. "How horrible! I didn't know he-"

"DO NOT PLAY DUMB," Mr. Riffin ordered. "I KNOW YOU ARE BEHIND THIS. AND I HAVE A FEELING OTIS TOOK PART IN THE PLAN AS WELL."

"I'm right here, dad!" Corey called out.

Mr. Riffin kneeled next to Corey as Trina flew down and landed next to her brother. "YOU ARE NOT MY SON," the demon king said. "YOU ARE A HUMAN. MY SON IS PHYSICALLY IMMATURE AND CANNOT FORM WORDS IN HIS MOUTH."

"I am your son, father," Corey said, raising his arms as pale blue electricity appeared in his fists. "Unless you know other demons who have electrical powers."

"YOU HAVE A GOOD POINT, YOUNG ONE," Mr. Riffin said. "NOW COME. I MUST TAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR HOME WHERE YOU TRUELY BELONG."

Corey made his hands stop sparkling with pale blue electricity. "But I am home," he said.

"COREY, DO NOT MAKE THIS DIFFICULT," Mr. Riffin ordered. "YOU BELONG WITH OTHER DEMONS, NOT MERE MORTALS."

"No," Corey said. "I don't belong in the Underworld. You want me back so you can go back to treating me like a pet. You liked seeing me as a monster. You enjoyed making me feel worthless. But that's not who I am." He wrapped his arm around Laney's waist and pulled her closer to him. "This human helped me regain my humanity over these past few weeks. She made me feel normal, more human. And with her help, she showed me who I really am."

"YOU ARE BEING RIDICULOUS," Mr. Riffin said. "STOP THIS NONSENSE IMMEDIATELY."

"I already marked her as mine," Corey continued. "If I have to spend the remainder of my life in the Underworld, I'm taking her with me."

"Core, you don't have to do this," Laney said, not liking the idea of living in the Underworld.

"It's demon law," Corey said. "Right dad? When a demon marks someone, they are required to stay with him or her no matter what. Besides, didn't you want me to mature? Well look at me now, dad. I'm a fully mature demon."

Mr. Riffin looked at Corey. "VERY WELL," he said. "YOU HAVE CONVINCED ME TO LET YOU STAY HERE."

"Thank you, dad," Corey said.

Mr. Riffin stood to his full height. "COME, TRINA," he said. "LET US GET BACK TO THE UNDERWORLD. I SURE HOPE YOUR BROTHER MADE THE CORRECT DECISION."

Trina flew over to her father. "Don't worry," she said, looking down at her brother. "I have a feeling he's going to love living on the surface world."

And with that, the two demons disappeared into the flames. When it was over, everything looked normal again. "Wow Core," Laney said. "That was pretty brave of you."

"I know," Corey said. "First time I stood up for myself around him. Never thought that would happen."

"So now that it's cleared up, still want you find your mom?" Laney asked.

"Of course," Corey said with a smile. "I still want to find her."

* * *

Some searching later, Corey and Laney arrived at a dark red house. "You sure this is the place?" Laney asked.

Corey tightened his grip on Laney's hand. "It has to be," he said. "It feels right."

Laney let go of Corey. "Then go," she said. "You know what to do."

"Alright," Corey said, walking over to the front door. "Here goes nothing..." He knocked on the door twice.

The door opened, revealing a woman with long dark blue hair. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes," Corey answered, briefly glancing at Laney. "My name is Corey Riffin. I'm twelve years old and I came to this town a few weeks ago to find my mother. Do you know where she lives?"

"Corey?" the woman repeated. "I have a son with that same name, but it's been so long since I saw him."

"I know," Corey said with a smile.

"Wait..." the woman said. "Are you...?"

"Hi mom," Corey said.

Mrs. Riffin also smiled, tears of joy coming from her eyes. She pulled Corey in for a hug. "I can't believe it's really you," she said. "You were a baby the last time I saw you."

"Dad didn't want me to leave the Underworld," Corey explained. "So I escaped thanks to Trina and Otis. Them I met a human taught me how to blend in."

Mrs. Riffin let go of Corey. "It's this girl, isn't it?" she asked, referring to Laney.

Laney walked over to the door. "I found Corey sleeping in the woods," she recalled. "He stayed at my place while he was still behaving like a cat."

"Thank you for watching over him," Mrs. Riffin said. "My son has chosen wisely to make you his friend."

"Does this mean I can still see her?" Corey asked.

"Of course you can," Mrs. Riffin answered. "She's clearly a good influence for you. Now how about I show you your new room?"

"Sure," Corey said. "I just need to get something."

"You mean this?" Laney asked, taking out the chalkboard.

Corey took the chalkboard from Laney. "You remembered to bring it with you," he said.

"You said you wanted to keep it as a memory," Laney said.

Corey looked at the chalkboard, then back at Laney. "Thanks Lanes," he said.

With that, Mrs. Riffin brought Corey inside and closed the door. And as Laney walked back to her home, she knew things were going to get better for her. Just weeks ago, she was very shy with no friends and she couldn't speak. Now she was finally talking and she made a friend even though he wasn't human. And as she left, she could hear Corey cheering about something he saw in his new home.

_"Thank you, Corey Riffin,"_ Laney thought. _"You truly are a life saver."_


	6. Demonic Hair Care Treatments

**Some Time Later...**

Laney looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. Today she decided to wear her favorite casual long-sleeved dress with her usual boots. The dress she chose was vertical lime green and black striped on the torso, yellow on the sleeves, and bright red on the skirt. But today, she had a hard time brushing her hair. It was still long, but it was getting tangled lately. She was almost tempted to cut it short so she wouldn't have to worry about taking care of it every morning. But she knew Corey wouldn't let her. After all, he really liked her long hair.

There was only one thing she could do: visit Corey to convince him to let her cut her hair.

* * *

"No," Corey said. He and Laney were in the living room of his house.

"Come on, Core!" Laney begged. "It's getting hard for me to manage. I'm getting more knots each day."

Corey moved his fingers through the auburn locks. "This doesn't feel right," he said. "It feels dry. Are you sure you're taking care of it every day?"

"Yes," Laney answered. "So can I cut it already?"

"Still no," Corey said.

"Why not?" Laney asked, getting frustrated by the demon's stubbornness.

"Because I don't think short hair will work for you," Corey answered. "I mean, if you cut off your long locks, what's next? Stop wearing dresses and start wearing shirts and pants? Get rid of all the girly stuff in your room? Act more like a boy? Erase everything feminine in your life so all that's left is some tomboy?"

"Wait..." Laney said. "I wasn't going to do any of those things."

"Please don't cut your hair," Corey begged, grabbing Laney's wrists with both hands. "I love seeing you being feminine. It's what makes you Laney Penn. If you get rid of your long hair, you're removing a part of yourself. I know part of it is because demons love girls with long hair, but it's mostly the fear of you losing your identity. So please, don't change yourself. It's only going to hurt you."

Laney was surprised by this sudden confession. "Core..." she said. "You really feel that way about me?"

"Yes," Corey answered. "If you want, I can give you a beauty treatment. I'll wash your hair with shampoo, use some conditioner to make it smooth again, and use a blow dryer and a brush to complete the treatment. What do you say?"

"I say I didn't know you like those things," Laney said.

"I brushed your hair every morning while I stayed at your place," Corey recalled. "It's still the same thing."

"Well then," Laney said. "Show me what you can do."

* * *

**One Beauty Treatment Later...**

"Not bad for a demon," Laney said as Corey finished brushing her recently dried hair.

"It's just like when I used to work on Trina's back in the Underworld," Corey said. "Except that hers is much longer than yours."

"Really?" Laney asked. "Didn't you told me you didn't have your humanity for most of your life?"

"I'm always gentle with hair," Corey explained. "Even while I gave in to my demon side." He put the brush on the counter. "Now to add one final detail." He picked up a plain yellow barrette and clipped it in her hair, moving it away from her face.

Laney looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Corey did a nice job. Her hair was still the same, but the ends were slightly curled. The barrette was a nice addition, matching her outfit. "What did you use?" she asked.

"Gorgon Snakes brand shampoo and conditioner," Corey answered, giving Laney a shampoo bottle. "It's the best unisex hair care brand in the Underworld. One use, and you'll never have to worry about hair issues again."

"Gorgon Snakes?" Laney asked, looking at the shampoo bottle. The label featured a green cartoon snake using its tail to hold a white bottle. There was a speech bubble next to the snake that read 'Now safe for humans!'. "What's with the label mentioning humans?" she asked.

"It's a new formula," Corey explained. "A human accidentally used it years ago, and she was found dead in the shower as soon as she put it on her scalp. Since then, the manufacturers changed it so the same incident never happens again. True story."

"How did you get this stuff, anyway?" Laney asked, putting the shampoo bottle on the counter.

"Trina gave it to me the day after I moved in with mom," Corey answered.

"You've been using this for a while?" Laney asked.

"Yep," Corey said. "See for yourself." He grabbed Laney's wrist and moved her hand to his hair. He let go and let her feel. She carefully caressed the messy dark brown locks. It felt softer than the last time she did this gesture.

Laney paid attention to Corey's reaction to her touch. At the moment, his eyes were closed and he smiled in satisfaction. She leaned in close to him. "You like this?" she asked.

Corey opened his eyes. "You have no idea how much I love you," he said, his voice sounding deep and husky.

"You always tell me that," Laney said, moving her hand to the back of his head as she put her other hand on the same spot.

"I know," Corey said, putting his hands on her waist. "I'm serious this time. You are the most amazing human girl I ever met, and I love you so much."

"Then maybe I should do this more often if this is your reaction," Laney said, feeling the slightly shorter locks through her fingers.

A glossy look appeared in Corey's bright blue eyes. Then without warning, he pulled Laney in for a surprise kiss, closing his eyes as he did so. She was startled at first, but she closed her eyes and kissed back. He was passionate and aggressive, kissing her with unimaginable love. She loved every feeling of the kiss, grasping the hair on the back of his head. He broke apart from the kiss and mouthed his mouth to her neck, his lips not leaving the warm skin.

Without warning, Corey started to suck. Laney's eyes were wide open and she gasped. It hurt, but it unlocked new emotions inside her, ones of lust and sexual desire. "Core..." she moaned.

But Corey stopped what he was doing. He opened his eyes and pulled away. "Sorry," he said. "Demons are very aggressive kissers."

"How is that a bad thing?" Laney asked.

"Because I'm doing this to my best friend," Corey answered. "You probably like someone else..."

"No," Laney said. "I don't like anyone else. I only like you, and I loved that feeling. If it makes you feel better, we can stop being friends and upgrade our relationship."

"You want to be sleeping buddies?" Corey assumed. "Aren't we too young for that?"

Laney gave Corey a brief kiss. "No," she said. "Boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, a guy and a girl who are friends and they also love each other."

"You want to be my girlfriend?" Corey asked.

"Of course," Laney answered. "You did mark me."

"Alright," Corey said. "So we're dating. Now what?"

"Nothing big changes," Laney said. "We're still friends. Just ones who are dating."

"So there's nothing awkward if we spend time at the beach?" Corey asked. "Because I was hoping we could do that today."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Laney said, releasing her grip from his hair.

"Great," Corey said, still smiling. "Because I was also thinking about visiting Bealchi's for a smoothie afterwards."

With that, Corey and Laney left the bathroom together with his hand on her waist. They both knew this was the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

**The End?**

* * *

**A/N: Yes folks, I might work on a sequel to this fanfic! It's going to be rated M though, so be on the lookout for it.**


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